All the latest Giants news from MLB.com beat writer Chris Haft.

Echoes of last year are faintly, ominously audible

Friday, Aug. 3

SAN FRANCISCO — Hints of 2011 have crept into this season for the Giants.

That’s not a good thing.

Consider these parallels:

Euphoria swept the visitor’s clubhouse at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park on July 28 of last year, when the Giants recorded a stirring 4-1 victory over the Phillies. Tim Lincecum looked great during six shutout innings. The acquisition of slugging outfielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets before the Trade Deadline fortified the Giants, psychologically and on paper. They owned a four-game lead in the National League West as they continued their trip with three games against the Reds, who had just been swept in four games by the Mets.

The Giants proceeded to lose their next five games and tumble into a first-place tie in the division race with Arizona. They clung to first place for another week, when the Diamondbacks pulled in front for good.

Fast-forward to this year. Optimism filled the Giants’ clubhouse this past Tuesday, after Lincecum worked seven strong innings in a 4-1 triumph over the Mets. That victory broke a virtual tie with Los Angeles atop the West standings and gave the Giants a one-game lead. Moreover, the Giants knew the cavalry was coming in the form of multitalented outfielder Hunter Pence, who arrived from Philadelphia in a trade that was officially announced about two hours before the Trade Deadline struck. Pence would make his Giants debut behind Matt Cain, he of the perfect
game and the All-Star Game triumph, against the disappointing Mets, who arrived in San Francisco having lost 14 of their previous 17 games.

The Giants proceeded to lose the series’ final pair of games to New York, collecting seven hits in the process. They still lead the West, with Los Angeles trailing by a half-game and the D-backs two games behind. Nevertheless, the Giants clearly are in a precarious situation. They’ve lost seven of their last eight games and must play 19 of their next 29 games on the road.

The Giants’ performance during that stretch could determine whether they’re pursuing postseason glory in September or staring enviously at the Dodgers and D-backs as they pull away from them in the standings.

It’s easy to suggest that the Giants are bound for another agonizing August and a desperate September. But perspective must be maintained. It’s entirely possible — the coming weeks will tell the story — that this is their nadir, that their offense will thrive once Pablo Sandoval returns from the disabled list (perhaps in a week) to complement Buster Posey, Melky Cabrera and a motivated Pence, and that the starting pitching, which remains the division’s best, will help San Francisco outclass their rivals.

Finally, don’t forget about that second Wild Card spot. Sure, it’s a cheap way to reach the postseason, but it opens the window of opportunity longer for legitimate contenders. Thus the intensity of this stretch drive could generate more excitement than most.

As a result, the time has arrived for teams such as the Giants to strive to summon their best each and every day. It’ll be a pleasure to watch.

— Chris Haft
e-mail: chris.haft@mlb.com
Twitter: @sfgiantsbeat

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

3 Comments

Thanks as always for insightful commentary. Fans need to get this to keep things in perspective when things have been so grim. Kuip called Wednesday’s game a “puke game.” It summed it up but we need to move on every day and keep on rooting for our guys.

Parallels? Maybe if it were the same exact teams, but there are many differences.

How about this unparallel? Last year, the team, after overperforming in the wake of Posey’s devastating season-ending injury, picks up a huge addition that hopefully would pick up the slack and keep us on top. This year, the team, after underperforming in the wake of Lincecum’s puzzling fall from grace, picks up a good addition who hopefully will pile things on top and keep us on top.

Why does the media do this all the time (not just here but Merc too)? One bad stretch and the sky is falling! No wonder so many fans are like that too. The situation is not great for the Giants, but the other two teams are facing similar difficult situations too, it is not like the Giants alone will be facing problems.

The Dodgers have lost 6 of 9, and are 9-13 over the last 22 games. And their pitching has fallen apart in July, for which they were only able to add Joe Blanton, who replaced Eovaldi, an even trade at best.

The D-backs have had a good streak lately, 10-3, but a big part of that was beating up on Houston and Colorado, and they were 5-11 before that, including losing three straight to the woeful Padres. Plus, they have 30 games in August (only 31 days, so one day of rest), with 16 games on the road in total. And they can’t expect Kubel to hit over .900 OPS every month, his road stats are so bad, he’s had to have been very lucky at home so far (yep, .371 BABIP, hard to keep that up over a whole season, especially for a slow-footed OF like him).

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.